In this review, I'd like to tell you a bit about the game Moonlighter. Please keep in mind that I'll be going a bit in-depth about the game so spoilers are very likely.

First off what I like about the game:

- The combat is pretty complex and not easy at all. The enemy's pose a threat the entire time and being careless will cost you all of your items. I overall like this idea for combat, since it is actually challenging and not your average hack and slash game where you will literally mow down everything in seconds.

- The shop mechanic is very well made and fun to watch. Actively having to figure out your own prices is a pretty fun thing to do (even tho I was most of the time pretty underselling my stuff...) The fact that you are able to get robbed adds another depth to the shop because it forces you to act. You are not just standing around, twiddling your thumbs but you actively have to do stuff in your shop to make it run successfully.

- The overall style of the game is very pretty. You can see how much love the developers spent into making this game. There are a lot of little details that make up the bigger picture and I have to say: This game is one of the best pixel games I have ever seen, mainly due to how much love and care was taken with making the sprites and the overall enviroment.

However of course there are some things that I did not like about the game too:

- Most of the bosses were big pushovers. Their attack patterns were usually very simple, predictable and very easy to both dodge and block. The only boss I felt truly challenged with, was the desert boss, which had both an amazing boss design and a great fight. The rest of the bosses were very easy, however. Even the final boss was a pushover, mainly due to the fact that the shield has no stamina bar and can be used indefinetly. This trivializes some mechanics of bosses, which does not apply to random monsters however. These tend to change their position often and will therefore bypass the shield sometimes simply by attacking from another direction.

- The story was very shallow. I understand that this might not be the main focus of the game, but the trailers made me feel, like I'd had to prepare for a heartwarming story of an adventurer who was refused to live out his dreams, until the day where he finally starts to turn his dreams into reality. However none of that was actually seen in the game. Neither from NPC dialogues, nor from the Old Man himself. It is a bit sad to see, seeing that there was indeed a lot of potential that wasn't used.

- There is literally nothing else to do, besides maintaining your shop and grinding. It is very easy to both get all the armors and all the town upgrades and afterwards there is simply nothing else to do. You are then lacking ways to spend your money and the game is pretty much over. There is a lack of content in my opinion, but that might be just me. Of course I've also got the "Finish the game in 10 hours" achievement on my first run.

Conclusion:

Pro:

+ Complex and fun combat
+ Well made shop mechanics
+ Great Artstyle and soundtrack that befits it
+ Variety when it comes to choosing your weapons

Cons:

- Lack of content after you finish the story
- Bosses feel too easy ( Tried them with and without shield )
- Shield mechanic makes most bosses trivial
- Flat Story

All in all, Moonlighter is a great game to pass some time and the gameplay is great as well. I just wish ther was a bit more content, since it's very easy to finish the game fast and besides shopkeeping and dungeon raiding, the game does not have anything else to offer.

Despite the negative things I've pointed out, I absolutely enjoyed the game and I'd give it a 7,5/10

In this review, I'd like to tell you a bit about the game Moonlighter. Please keep in mind that I'll be going a bit in-depth about the game so spoilers are very likely. First off what I like about the game: - The combat is pretty complex and not easy at all. The enemy's pose a threat the entire time and being careless will cost you all of your items. I overall like this idea for combat, since it is actually challenging and not your average hack and slash game where you will literally mow down everything in seconds. - The shop mechanic is very well made and fun to watch. Actively having to figure out your own prices is a pretty fun thing to do (even tho I was most of the time pretty underselling my stuff...) The fact that you are able to get robbed adds another depth to the shop because it forces you to act. You are not just standing around, twiddling your thumbs but you actively have to do stuff in your shop to make it run successfully. - The overall style of the game is very pretty. You can see how much love the developers spent into making this game. There are a lot of little details that make up the bigger picture and I have to say: This game is one of the best pixel games I have ever seen, mainly due to how much love and care was taken with making the sprites and the overall enviroment. However of course there are some things that I did not like about the game too: - Most of the bosses were big pushovers. Their attack patterns were usually very simple, predictable and very easy to both dodge and block. The only boss I felt truly challenged with, was the desert boss, which had both an amazing boss design and a great fight. The rest of the bosses were very easy, however. Even the final boss was a pushover, mainly due to the fact that the shield has no stamina bar and can be used indefinetly. This trivializes some mechanics of bosses, which does not apply to random monsters however. These tend to change their position often and will therefore bypass the shield sometimes simply by attacking from another direction. - The story was very shallow. I understand that this might not be the main focus of the game, but the trailers made me feel, like I'd had to prepare for a heartwarming story of an adventurer who was refused to live out his dreams, until the day where he finally starts to turn his dreams into reality. However none of that was actually seen in the game. Neither from NPC dialogues, nor from the Old Man himself. It is a bit sad to see, seeing that there was indeed a lot of potential that wasn't used. - There is literally nothing else to do, besides maintaining your shop and grinding. It is very easy to both get all the armors and all the town upgrades and afterwards there is simply nothing else to do. You are then lacking ways to spend your money and the game is pretty much over. There is a lack of content in my opinion, but that might be just me. Of course I've also got the "Finish the game in 10 hours" achievement on my first run. Conclusion: Pro: + Complex and fun combat + Well made shop mechanics + Great Artstyle and soundtrack that befits it + Variety when it comes to choosing your weapons Cons: - Lack of content after you finish the story - Bosses feel too easy ( Tried them with and without shield ) - Shield mechanic makes most bosses trivial - Flat Story All in all, Moonlighter is a great game to pass some time and the gameplay is great as well. I just wish ther was a bit more content, since it's very easy to finish the game fast and besides shopkeeping and dungeon raiding, the game does not have anything else to offer. Despite the negative things I've pointed out, I absolutely enjoyed the game and I'd give it a 7,5/10